Problems with fence damage has been long known. The prior art is replete with different approaches to protecting either vegetation, the ground beneath the fence, or the fence, per se. These have run the gambit from protecting against moisture invasion, as by using a Michigan Cedar or California Redwood as the material of which the fence is made, to employing upstanding bases; such as, of concrete or the like to keep moisture from invading the fence.
The enclosed Information Disclosure Statement discloses patents that were turned up by a preexamination search made in the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Among these, U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,391 describes the problems with protecting a fence and recites earlier issued patents on different approaches such as fence borders, skirts for fence posts, roll form grass guards, vegetation barriers or the like. The prior art has been deficient in two main aspects. Firstly, it failed to keep the fence elevated off the ground. This is important particularly for wooden fences or the like. It is important that the fence protector serves as a base, keeps the fence elevated and keeps deleterious liquids from adversely invading at least the bottom of the fence material. Secondly, the fence protector, or protector for the vegetation may be made of the same or different material compared to the fence.